Araku Coffee goes global with Paris launch

Domestic coffee company Araku Global Holdings today marked a global debut by opening its flagship retail store in Paris which will retail its homegrown blend of Arabica coffee.
The top quality blend will retail under the 'Araku' brand at a premium pricing, and is cultivated by the indigenous tribes of the Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh.
Araku Global Holdings was formed as a social enterprise by top businessmen including Anand Mahindra of Mahindra Group, Kris Gopalakrishnan of Infosys, Satish Reddy, Chairman of Dr Reddy's Laboratories and Rajendra Prasad Maganti, chairman, Soma Enterprise.
To ensure maximum benefit to the farmers, it bypasses middlemen and sells directly to the end consumer.

Araku Global Holdings is managed by the Naandi Foundation's CEO Manoj Kumar along with other trustees.
The initiative will help support marginalised farmers, the company said in a statement.

"We are focused on making Araku a globally recognised luxury coffee brand from India, while helping improve the lives of tribals in the Araku Valley," Anand Mahindra said.
In addition to a store in Paris, Araku Coffee is also being sold at the LVMH Group-owned La Grande Epicerie de Paris and will soon be on the shelves of other high-end Parisian concept stores, the statement said.
The brand is also available in Switzerland and will be launched in a range of European markets shortly, it said.